My midwife has said I have an anterior placenta. Is this a problem?

Share

An anterior placenta simply means that your placenta is positioned on the front wall of your uterus (womb). Having your placenta in this position should not cause you or your baby any problems. Your placenta develops wherever the fertilised egg embeds in your uterus after its journey along the fallopian tube.

During your mid-pregnancy ultrasound scan, the person doing the scan (the sonographer) will check to see where the placenta is lying. She'll write down its position in your ultrasound notes. The position will be described as one of the following:

anterior (on the front wall of your uterus)

posterior (back wall of your uterus)

fundal (top wall of your uterus)

right or left lateral (right or left side of your uterus)

These are all normal places for the placenta to implant and develop.

The only possible problems with an anterior placenta are if you are having your baby by caesarean section. You may have a higher risk of bleeding, for two reasons:

The placenta may be lying just where the obstetrician needs to perform the cut to bring your your baby into the world.

If you have had a caesarean before, the placenta may have grown over the site of your old scar. Occasionally, this causes the placenta to grow into and through the uterus wall (placenta accreta). This is a rare condition, but is more likely to happen if you've had a caesarean.

Remember that, in the unlikely event there is a problem with bleeding, you'll be in the operating theatre and can be treated immediately.

If the placenta is found to be low-lying at your mid-pregnancy ultrasound scan you would need another scan at between 34 weeks and 36 weeks. This will apply whether the placenta is on the front, back or side of your uterus. Usually, the placenta is carried upwards as your uterus expands around your growing baby. If your placenta is low-lying towards the end of your pregnancy, this is known as placenta praevia.

Last reviewed: November 2009

References

This article was written using the following sources:

RCOG. 2005a. A low-lying placenta after 20 weeks (placenta praevia): Information for you. Revised Edition Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. www.rcog.org.uk [Accessed November 2009]

Sleep and your preschooler
Even when your child throws off the cot and the all-night feeds, sleep challenges in the preschool years can still keep you wondering. Get tips and advice on how to help your 3 to 4 year old get a great sleep.